The Central New Jersey Home News from New Brunswick, New Jersey • 10

HCJE NEWS 1RMJNE NORTH Home News Tribune PAGE C2 SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 1998 BOXING THE WEEK AHEAD Lopez sharp in victory, looks forward to De La Hoya By JOSEPH SKREC STAFF WRITER ATLANTIC CITY A fistic journey with a bout against Oscar De La Hoya as the ultimate destination brought Jose Luis Lopez to the boardwalk. The hard-punching Lopez, a highly-touted welterweight, registered a third-round technical knockout of Ed Goins last night at the Atlantic City Convention Center's grand ballroom. Lopez turned in a sharp performance in the marquee bout on the non-televised portion of the Arturo "Thunder" Ivan Robinson undercard. In the co-feature of a card Main Events called "Looks Can Kill," undefeated junior got off his knee at the count of three, but didn't respond after referee Randy Neumann asked, "Do you want to fight? Do you want to fight?" The ref immediately halted the scheduled 10-rounder. "(Lopez) is the only fighter I've handled who doesn't care who he's fighting," said Lou Duva, who's in the contender's corner.

"He'll fight anybody." The 25-year-old Mexican slugger isn't high on the wish list of the undefeated De La Hoya, who will defend the World Boxing Council's welterweight championship in a remtach with Julio Cesar Chavez on Sept. 18. Earlier this summer, De La Hoya needed less than three rounds dis the Miami-based 'Team Freedom" of Cuban defectors promoted by Main Events. In the first fight on last night's undercard, junior welterweight Felix Torres (11-1, 7 KOs) scored a third-round knockout of Mike Rios (10-12, 3 KOs). Torres, who weighed three pounds over the 140-pound limit, but one less than Smith, knocked his opponent down five times before the bout was stopped with 1:05 left in the third.

Emanuel Lucero, of The Bronx, delivered the punch of the night in his professional debut. With trainers Lou Duva and Tommy Brooks in his coner, Lucero KOed Felipe Gandus (0-4) with a body shot at 2:25 in the second stanza of the scheduled four-rounder. middleweight Fernando Vargas risked his No. 1 ranking against Darren Maciunski, a Pine Beach native fighting out of Jersey City. Lopez's first solid exh-change sent Goins to the canvas in the final minute of the opening round.

A right cross from Lopez (41-3-2, 33 KOs) caught Goins (14-12-2, 8 KOs) as he was backpedaling into the ropes. After a strong second round, Lopez really went to work in the third, when he hurt Goins with repeated body shots. Backed into his own corner, with Lopez on the attack, Goins took a knee to clear his head. Goins, of Sanford, N.C., did it again 30 seconds later. He patch of No.

1 contender Patrick Charpentier. "(Lopez) might be the most dangerous guy for me," De La Hoya said. "The other guys (undefeated welterweights Felix Trinidad and Ike Quar-tey) who come out strong are easy for me. Lopez has a fast punch, he's very powerful and he can take a punch." Lopez proved as much when he fought Quartey, who boasted an unblemished record and the World Boxing Association championship at the time, to a draw last year. Lopez, who's fought opponents in eight weight classes, from bantamweight (118 pounds) to junior middleweight (154 pounds), also owns a victory over current International Boxing Federation junior middleweight champion Yory Boy Campas.

But before he gets to De La Hoya, Lopez moved into position to fight Russian Andrei Pestriaev for the WBA's vacant crown. The WBA stripped Quartey of the title last week for failing to fight Pestriaev, the No. 1 contender. The WBA ranks Lopez second in the 147-pound division. Goins and Lopez both tipped the scale at 150 pounds, three over the division limit, at Friday's weigh-in.

Also on last night's undercard, undefeated junior lightweight sensation Joel Casa-mayor stopped Miguel Figueroa (6-2-1, 3 KOs), of Camden. Casamayor (12-0, 9 KOs), a gold medalist at the 1992 Olympics, is a member of AUTO RACING QmSWire GOODY'S 500 Contiguglia elected president of USSF Martin's victory ends Gordon's record bid TODAY BASEBALL' Yankee at Texas. 8:35 ml (MSG); Arizona at Mets, 1:40 (ch.9); Thunder at Hew Britain, 2 ML AUTO RACING: NHRA, Champion Auta Stares Nationals; NASCAR Track Series at GOLF: PGA, Sprint Intenutionar, LPGA, Edina Realty Classic; European PGA, Smurfit European Open; Senior PGA, Northville Long Island Classic TENNIS: Men: Pilot Pen Interna- tjonat; RCA Championships. Women: Maurier Open. TRACK FIELD: European Championships.

MONDAY BASEBALL Arizona at Mets, 1:40 p.m. (FSNY); Thunder at New Brit- aia, 7 p.m. YOUTH BASEBALL Little League World Series. TENNIS: Men: Hamlet Cup; U.S. Pro, Championships.

Women: U.S. Hard-, court Championships. GOLF: USGA, U.S. Men's Amateur. TUESDAY BASEBALL Anaheim at Yankees, 7:35 p.m.

(MSG); Mets at San Francisco, 10:05 p.m. (FSNY); Thunder at Norwich, 7 p.m. YOUTH BASEBALL Little League. World Series. TENNIS: Men: Hamlet Cup; U.S.

Pro Championships. Women: U.S. Hardcourt Championships, GOLF: USGA, U.S. Men's WEDNESDAY BASEBALL Anaheim at Yankees, 7:35 p.m. (MSG); Mets at San Francisco, 3:35 p.m.

(ch.9); Thurr-der at Norwich, 7 p.m. YOUTH BASEBALL Little League World Series. TENNIS: Men: Hamlet Cup; U.S. Pro-Championships. Women: U.S.

Hardcourt Championships. -GOLF: USGA, U.S. Men's Amateur; THURSDAY BASEBALL Anaheim at Yankees," 7:35 p.m. (ch.ll); Mets at San Francisco, 3:35 p.m. (FSNY); Thunder at Norwich, 7 p.m.

YOUTH BASEBALL Little League World Series. TENNIS: Men: Hamlet Cup; U.S. Pre Championships. Women: U.S. Hardcourt Championships.

GOLF: USGA, U.S. Men's Amateur, PGA, NEC World Series of Golf; PGA, Greater Vancouver Open; European PGA, BMW International. WRESTLING: World Greco-Roman Championships, Gavle, FRIDAY BASEBALL Seattle at Yankees, 7:35 p.m. (MSG); Mets at Los An- geles, 10:05 p.m. (ch.9); Akron at Thunder, 7 p.m.

PRO FOOTBALL Exhibition, Balti- more at Giants, 8 p.m.; Jets at Chicago, 8 p.m. YOUTH BASEBALL Little League I World Series. TENNIS: Men: Hamlet Cup; U.S. Pro Championships. Women: U.S.

Hardcourt Championships. GOLF: USGA, U.S. Men's PGA, NEC World Series of Golf; s-PGA, Greater Vancouver Open; European PGA, BMW International; Senior PGA, BankBoston Classic; LPGA, State Farm Rail Classic -WRESTLING: World Greco-Roman -Championships, Gavle, Sweden. SATURDAY BASEBALL: Seattle at Yankees, 1:35 p.m. (MSG); Mets at Los Angeles, 4:05 p.m.

(FOX); Akron at Thunder, 7 p.m. PRO SOCCER: MetroStars at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. (MSG). YOUTH BASEBALL Little League World Series. TENNIS: Men: Hamlet Cup; U.S.

Pro Championships. Women: U.S. Hardcourt Championships. GOLF: USGA, U.S. Men's Amateur; PGA, NEC World Series of Golf; PGA, Greater Vancouver Open; European PGA, BMW International; Senior PGA, BankBoston Classic; LPGA, State Farm Rail Classic AUTO RACING: IRL at Hampton," NASCAR Truck Series at Louisville, Ky.

WRESTLING: World Greco-Roman Championships, Gavle, Sweden. COLLEGE: MENS SOCCER: Central Connecti-' cut at Rutgers, 7 p.m. The Associated Press Martina Hingis congratulates Monica Seles after Seles posted a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win to move into the finals at the du Maurier Open in Montreal. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BRISTOL, Tenn. Jeff Gordon's car couldn't seem to do anything right last night.

Mark Martin had no such problems. Martin dominated the final third of the Goody's 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, ending Gordon's bid to set a Winston Cup modern-era record with his. fifth consecutive victory. I While Martin led the most laps on the way to defeating feammate Jeff Burton, Gordon battled an ill-handling car all night. Not only did he wind up in fifth place, about one-half lap back, but he never challenged for the lead.

It ended Gordon's streak of 14 consecutive races in which he led at least one lap, a run that stretched back to the Texas 500 in April. Martin's fifth victory of the season and 27th of his career, was especially gratifying since it came one week after he failed in his bid to win a race in memory of his father, Julian, who was killed in a plane crash two weeks ago. Martin was unable to hold off Gordon in the late stages of last week's race at Michigan. It represented another example of Martin having a good finish during Gordon's streak but losing ground to him in the season points battle. This time, Martin came to Bristol trailing Gordon by 97 points, but trimmed his deficit to 67.

OTHER RACES: Cruz Pedre-gon topped Funny Car qualifying yesterday in the Vi-sionAire NorthStar Nationals, while Cory McClenathan help the No. 1 spot in the Top Fuel division. Rain forced NHRA officials to cancel the first qualifying session yesterday, leaving drivers only one chance to improve their positions for today's final eliminations. Pedregon, a three-time winner this year, had a quarter-mile run of 4.937 seconds at track-record speed of 312.39 in a Pontiac Firebird. It was Pedregon's eighth No.

1 qualifying effort of the season. McClenathan, the 1997 winner at Brainerd International Raceway, had a run of 4.598 seconds at 311.63 mph Friday in his Joe Gibbs-owned dragster. to open a three-stroke lead going into the final round of the $2 million European Open. Gronberg, whose only European tour victory came three years ago, has a 206 total. American Craig Hainline was his closest rival at 209, and another three strokes back, three golfers were tied for third place, Darren Clarke, Bernhard Langer and JoseRivero.

GYMNASTICS: A consistent performance in all four events paid off for 17-year-old Kristen Maloney as she won U.S. Gymnastics women's championship last night. Maloney, fourth in the national championship all-around competition last year, finished with 76.749 points to hold off the challenge of defending champion Vanessa Atler. After the competition, Maloney was recognized as the gymnast of the year and sportswoman of the year for the second consecutive year by USA Gymnastics. Olympic gold medalist Dominique BASEBALL LITTLE LEAGUE Eight teams begin quest for World Series glory SOCCER: Robert Contiguglia became president of the U.S.

Soccer Federation yesterday and said the United States will bid to be host for the World Cup again in 2010. Contiguglia, 56, was endorsed by outgoing president Alan Rothenberg and admitted his predecessor will continue to "play a critical role in the federation." In an immediate sign, Contiguglia will stay with Rothenberg's list of candidates for national team coach. D.C. United coach Bruce Arena is still thought to be the leading contender to succeed Steve Sampson, who quit after the United States went 0-3 at the World Cup in June and finished last in the 32-nation field. Former U.S.

coach Bora Milutinovic remains under consideration, as does former Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira and former Portugal coach Carlos Quei-roz. Contiguglia, a physician who lives in Denver, was elected to a four-year term David Gould-stone set up Gerson Echeverry for two goals as the Jersey Riptide defeated the Reading Rage 3-0 in the second round of the USISL D3 League playoffs last night at Central Catholic High School in Reading, Pa. Echeverry headed in a cross from Gouldstone just 45 seconds into the match and scored the last goal of the game on a breakaway in the 71st minute. Nansha Kalonji headed in a cross from Andreas Maier in the 68th minute for a 2-0 lead. Emmett Idzahl made five saves to earn the shutout for the Riptide (20-8), who will play the winner of the Northeast Division playoff final next weekend in the quarterfinals Gitte Krogh and Lene Jensen scored goals to send Denmark to its third straight Women's World Cup soccer finals with a 2-1 victory over Russia.

The victory clinched the European Group Four title for Denmark, making it the eighth team to qualify for the 16-nation field for the tournament to be played in the United States next summer. GOLF: Vijay Singh, withstanding two eagles including a hole-in-one from onrushing Tiger Woods, clung to a narrow lead after three rounds of the Sprint International. Singh, who began the day with a 4-point lead under the modified Stableford scoring system used in this event, saw his margin trimmed to 1 point. Singh, the recently crowned PGA champion, had four birdies and two bogeys in a steady if unspectacular round at Castle Pines Golf Club, which for the first time in. three days was spared delays from lightning and rain.

He added 6 points to his total for 33, one ahead of Willie Wood and 2 ahead of Woods. Walter Hall shot a 3- under-par 69 to hold a share of the lead of the $1 million Northville Long Island Classic for the second straight year, this time with Tom Shaw, who had a 66. Hall, in his second year on the Senior PGA Tour, held a three-stroke lead after an opening 65 and his 10-under 134 total matches what he had last year after two rounds at the Meadow Brook Club in Jericho, N.Y.. He had a final-round 74 last year and finished 11th. Hall and Shaw are two strokes ahead of Jose Maria Cani-zares and Gary Player, who both matched their opening-round 68s.

Annika Sorenstam shot her second straight 71 and took a two-stroke lead over Helen Alfredsson, another Swedish star on the LPGA Tour, after three rounds of the Compaq Open. Sorenstam had a 4- under-par 212 going into today's final round It took a late afternoon rainstorm to keep Michelle Estill from building a commanding lead in the LPGA Rainbow Classic. Estill was at 9-under par through three holes of the second round, and was lining up a birdie putt attempt on the fourth hole of the Rush Creek Golf Course in Maple Grove, when the heavy rainchased nearly half of the field to cover. Sixty-six of the 138 golfers will return early this morning to finish the second round, then come back for the final 18 holes of the $600,000 event. Mathias Gronberg rolled in a 30-foot eagle putt at the last hole for a 5-under 67 urn -a loss at the event was to Sanchez Vi-cario in the 1992 final.

Seles' du Maurier record is now 23-1 After posting two-set victories over their respective foes in yesterday's semifinal round, Andre Agassi and Alex Corretja predicted a tight battle in today's finals of the RCA Championships. Agassi, the fifth seed, advanced with a 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 victory over Paraguay's Ramon Delgado. Corretja, the sixth seed from Spain, eliminated 15th-seeded Todd Martin 6-2, 7-6 (7-4). Goran Ivanisevic shook off an aching shoulder and continued his dominance over Yevgeny Kafelnikov, eliminating the defending Pilot Pen champ 6-3, 6-4 with a dominating service game. In the hunt for his first tournament win in the United States, Ivanisevic will play No.

7 seed Karol Kucera, of Slovakia, in today's final. Kucera advanced by beating No. 4 seed Richard Krajicek, 6-7 (8-6), 6-4. Cara Black of Zimbabwe, the second seed, beat third-seeded Christina Brandi 6-7 4-7), 6-2, 6-1 to gain a berth in the finals of the $75,000 GHI Bronx Tennis Classic. In eliminating the last American in the field, Black earned a spot opposite top-seeded Sarah Pitkowski of France in today's final.

Pitkowski advanced with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Anne Kremer of Luxembourg. Miles Maclagan of Britain beat Goichi Motomura of Japan 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to advance to the men's final against Oren Motevassel of Israel, a 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) winner over Italy's MoseNavarra. RUGBY: Andre Blom and Mark Scharrenberg scored tries and some tactical kicks in the final 10 minutes to send the United States to the Rugby World Cup with a 21-16 victory over Uruguay in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The United States became the third team to qualify for the 20-nation finals in September-October 1999 in Britain, Ireland and France. In yesterday's other game Argentina routed Canada 54-28 to finish as the top team in the America's qualifying tournament.

TRACK FIELD: Heike Drechsl-ers victory in the European Championships yesterday, winning with a long jump of 23 feet, six inches, showed she's back after three years of injuries and may be the most satisfying in a career that began to flower 15 years ago with her first world title. "This was maybe for me the hardest win," said the 33-year-old German, who is coming back after surgery almost a year ago on both Achilles tendons. "I had three really hard years. I wanted to come back. It was a really hard thing for me.

I had to work very hard for this gold." Drechsler, fourth in last year's worlds, edged out 1996 Olympic silver medalist Fiona May (23-4) of Italy and world champion Luyd-mila Galkina (23-2) of Russia. World 110-meter record-holder Colin Jackson, 31, of Britain ran 13.02, the third best time in the world this season, for his third straight European gold. The Associated Press a '1 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Pa. Amazing feats brought these eight' teams to the Little League World Series. One youngster threw a no-hitter in the deciding game.

Another hit a two-run homer in the last at-bat Another hit two home runs with a trip to WEliamsport on the line. I The best of the more than 7,000. teams from North American, Europe and Asia won regionals on three continents and make a run at the world championship starting today at the Howard J. Lamade Stadium. The championship is Aug.

29. "When you think of the chances of getting this far, it is pretty amazing. More than 7,000 teams started out, and we're among the final eight," said, Tom Meyer, the coach of Jenison, Mich. 'Meyer also coaches a high school football team in town, so lie commuted the 600 miles from Jenison to Indianapolis for each day of the Central Regional last week. Godwin Heights High School administrators said he could skip the all-night drives and two-a-day football practices this week.

"They said I could go to the World Series," he said, smiling. Jenison is joined in Willi-a'msport by three other U.S. tijams Greenville, N.C., Toms' River, N.J., and Cypress; Calif. and four foreign teams, including Lan-(dey Little League of British Columbia, who defeated Glace Bay of Nova Scotia, 4-1, to win the Canada Region Championship. Guadalupe, Mexico, has thiee players returning from last year's championship team, which scored four runs in the final inning to beat Mission Viejo, Calif.

Kashima, Japan bring along the first girl to play for a Far East champion. Sayaka Tsushima, who plays center field, becomes the fifth girl to play in the Little League World Series, all since 1984. The Arabian American Little League of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, won the European Regional for the fourth consecutive year. Cypress got to Williams-port with a nail-biter over Woodenville, Thursday. Cypress tied the game at 1-1 with two outs in the final inning before winning it in extra innings on Matt Swims' two-run homer.

Toms River advanced Thursday night in a game every bit as dramatic. Lefthander Scott Fisher threw a no-hitter and hit a home run, and Jeff Frazier hit his 11th homer of the regionals in a 2-0 win over Georgetown, Del. Greenville comes into the tournament with a 12-game winning streak and a star in right-hander Kevin Hodges, who threw the first-ever perfect game in a Southern Regional. He gave up just four hits and struck out 19 batters in winning three regional games. And he batted .412 in the tournament.

Jenison stopped a 15-game winning streak by Canfield, Ohio, with an 11-2 win Wednesday behind ace pitcher Billy Miller, who gave up four hits in six in- ningH 11:30 a.m. ESPN2 NHRA Drag Racing, gualT ifying, first round eliminators for Vi-sionaire Northstar ot Brainerd, Minn. 1 p.m. ABC Arena Football, Arena Bowl; Orlando vs. Tampa Bay, at Tarrtpa, Fla.

CBS "CBS Sports Spectacular," men's tennis. Pilot Pen Internationa) Tournament, men's champienshio match, at New Haven, Conn. 1:30 p.m. WW0R Major League Baseball, Arizona at N.Y. Mets 2 p.m.

TNN NASCAR Racing, Craftsman Truck Series, Lund Look 275k, at To-peka, Kan. 2:20 p.m. WGN Major League Baseball, Houston at Chicago Cubs 1 3 p.m. CBS PGA Golf, The Sprint International, final round, at Castle Rock7 Colo. ESPN2 Little League Baseball, World Series, Latin America vs.

Far East, at Williomsport, Pa. 4 p.m. NBC Men's tennis, The RCA Championships, championship match, at Indianapolis (samerday tape) 4:30 p.m. ESPN Thoroughbred racing, Bofle-rina Stakes, at Saratoga Springs, and Del Mar Oaks, at Del Mar, 5:30 p.m. ESPN Senior PGA Golf, Northvflle Long Island Classic, final round, N.Y.

(same-day tape) 6 p.m. ESPN2 Little League Baseball, World Series, U.S. Central (Jenison, Mich.l vs. U.S. East (Toms River, at Williomsport, Pa.

(same-day tap) 8 p.m. MSG Major League Baseball, fJY, Yankees at Texas ESPN Major League Angeles at Atlanta ESPN2 NHRA Drag RacingrVi-sionaire Northstar BroinerdMinn. (same-day tape) J. The Associated Press Davis Love III hit his fourth shot from the woods on the eighth hole during the third round of the Sprint International. Love took a stroke for an unplayable lie then chipped to the green and one-putted for par.

Moceanu placed third. TENNIS: Monica Seles upset top-seeded Martina Hingis with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 semifinal victory yesterday at the $1.3 million du Maurier Open women's tennis championship. Seles advanced to today's final against third-seeded Arantxa Sanchez Vi-cario of Spain, who beat second-seeded Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 in the second semifinal. Seles, 24, the fifth seed, has won the last three du Mau-rier tournaments. Her onlyrevious i.